() is an ancient Chinese rhetorical device, supposedly named in analogy with a type of wine vessel that tilts over when full and rights itself when empty. The Daoist classic first recorded this term for a mystical linguistic ideology, which is generally interpreted to mean fluid language that maintains its equilibrium through shifting meanings and viewpoints, thus enabling one to spontaneously go along with all sides of an argument.
Terminology The text contains neologisms for three figures of speech: , or , and —later referred to as the . These terms compound with , or , and . All three of these ancient Zhuangzian terms became part of modern Standard Chinese vocabulary; is a common word meaning "fable; allegory; parable", is a specialized linguistic term for "reduplication, reduplicated word/morpheme", and is a literary reference to , sometimes used in self-deprecatory titles, such as Wang Shizhen's () 1558 (, Goblet Words on Art and Literature).
The first Chinese dictionary of characters, Xu Shen's c. 121 CE , provides a representative set of ancient Han dynasty "wine vessel" names. is defined as "a round vessel (), also called , used to regulate drinking and eating ()", which is a classical allusion to the (27). is in turn defined as a "small , and the definition says refers to a full and to an empty one. The defines as a "ceremonial wine-drinking horn used in the countryside ()", cites the "The host then sits, takes the goblet, and washes it. ()", and notes that one was a liquid measure equivalent to four , about half a gallon). is defined as a "small goblet" (), and as a "small goblet with handles and a cover" ().
Another Han scholar Ying Shao (140-206) said and refer to the same object, "A regional drinking-vessel for ritual use; formerly made holding four ; formerly the word was written or ()".Tr. . Lin Shuen-fu disagrees with Ying and suggests and denote different sizes vessels of the same type and function, specifically the type of wine goblets that have a "round, column-like body, a slightly flaring mouth, and a ring foot".
The historian Wang Guowei linguistically equated the goblet with four ancient wine vessels: , , , and . The former two are written with the standard "horn radical" (; no. 148 in the Kangxi radicals); and the latter two with the ancient "goblet radical" (; no. 337 in the Shuowen Jiezi radicals), a lexicographic category with only these two rare characters.
The Chinese epigrapher Rong Geng ( archaeologically concluded that the original denotations of or are uncertain. Within the Chinese ritual bronze terminology of Song dynasty (960-1127) antiquarians, was a common Western Zhou era (c. 1045-771 BCE) wine vessel with a small, oval cross section, ring-feet, slender S-shaped profile, and often a cover; and was a rare Spring and Autumn period (771-476 BCE) wine drinking vessel with a squat oval cross-section, ring-feet, and annular handles.
Chinese ritual bronze wine vessels associated with goblets
Stoup is another English translation of Chinese : "stoup, a cylindrical vessel reminiscent of a beer tankard or a coffee mug. It sometimes comes with a cover", and "flagon, stoup, covered tankard, sometimes said to have capacity of 4 'pints' ( )".
The oldest extant references to occur in chapters 27 and 33 of the c. 4th-3rd century BCE Daoist . Both passages give metadiscursive analyses of the language used in , namely, the three [kinds of] words, , , and . Note that unless otherwise identified, translations are by Victor H. Mair.
Passages Chapter 27 mentions three times in the phrase "impromptu words pour forth every day and harmonize within the framework of nature" (), and these passages are described as "the most difficult in the entire chapter". First, the lead (27/1) introduces this phrase, which two parallel passages repeat and describe how using impromptu goblet words can result in longevity. Second, the (27/5) says, "Consequently, there is effusive elaboration so that they may live out their years" (). Third, the context (27/9) asks a negative conditional question, "If it were not for the impromptu words that pour forth every day and harmonize within the framework of nature, who could last long?" (). Metaphors are effective nine times out of ten and quotations seven times out of ten, but impromptu words come forth every day and harmonize within the framework of nature . Metaphors are effective nine times out of ten because they borrow externals to discuss something. A father does not act as a matchmaker for his son. It's better for someone who is not the father to praise the son than for the father himself to do so. Then it won't be his own fault, but somebody else's fault. If someone agrees with oneself, one responds favorably, but if someone does not agree with oneself, one opposes them. One considers to be right those who agree with oneself and considers to be wrong those who disagree with oneself
Quotations are effective seven times out of ten because their purpose is to stop speech. They are from our elders, those who precede us in years. But those who fill up the years of their old age without grasping what is significant and what is rudimentary are not really our predecessors. If a man has not that whereby he precedes others, he lacks the way of humanity. If a man lacks the way of humanity, he may be called a stale person.
Impromptu words pour forth every day and harmonize within the framework of nature . Consequently, there is effusive elaboration so that they may live out their years . Without speech, there is equality. Equality plus speech yields inequality; speech plus equality yields inequality. Therefore, it is said, "Speak nonspeech." If you speak nonspeech, you may speak till the end of your life without ever having spoken. If till the end of your life you do not speak, you will never have failed to speak. There are grounds for affirmation and there are grounds for denial. There are grounds for saying that something is so and there are grounds for saying that something is not so. Why are things so? They are so because we declare them to be so. Why are things not so? They are not so because we declare that to be not so. Wherein lies affirmation? Affirmation lies in our affirming. Wherein lies denial? Denial lies in our denying. All things are possessed of that which we may say is so; all things are possessed of that which we may affirm. There is no thing that is not so; there is no thing that is not affirmable. If it were not for the impromptu words that pour forth every day and harmonize within the framework of nature, who could last long ?
The myriad things are all from seeds, and they succeed each other because of their different forms . From start to finish it is like a circle whose seam is not to be found . This is called the celestial potter's wheel, and the celestial potter's wheel is the framework of nature (27/1-10). The last part of this passage (27/10) equates with the word that occurs in two other contexts. These interchangeable phonetic loan characters are and are graphically differentiated by the "earth" and "metal" radicals. The former context says, "the sage harmonizes the right and wrong of things and rests at the center of the celestial potter's wheel", and the latter, "Knowledge that stops at what it cannot know is the ultimate. If someone does not subscribe to this, he will be worn down by the celestial potter's wheel" (2/40 and 23/45).
The final chapter 33 , which summarizes early Chinese philosophy, reiterates and rearranges "lodged words," "repeated words," and "goblet words" in a context describing Zhuangzi's delight upon hearing ancient Daoist teachings. Like the goblet, this passage inverts the hierarchy of the three categories first presented in Chapter 27, and rights it by emphasizing as the most important and inclusive type of words. With absurd expressions, extravagant words, and unbounded phrases , he often gave rein to his whims but was not presumptuous and did not look at things from one angle only. Believing that all under heaven were sunk in stupidity and could not be talked to seriously, he used impromptu words for his effusive elaboration, quotations for the truth, and metaphors for breadth . Alone, he came and went with the essential spirits of heaven and earth but was not arrogant toward the myriad things (33/64-6). This word was also used with "goblet words" above (27/5), "Consequently, there is effusive elaboration so that they may live out their years"
Commentaries Chinese scholarly commentaries on the , dating back to Guo Xiang (252-312 CE), the earliest redactor and editor of the text, provide invaluable information on understanding . For semantic perspective, summaries of how major commentators explain the related terms and or will be presented first. Most commentaries agree that are divided into and subcategories, which are overlapping as the percentages require.
Yùyán. Guo Xiang notes that means another person (). Lu Deming's c. 583 exegetical (Textual Explanations of Classics and Canons) glosses as . The subcommentary by Daoist Chongxuan School master Cheng Xuanying (fl. 631-655) explains that although common people are stupid, unreasonable, and suspicious of Daoist teachings (), using to lodge in their viewpoints will enable them to understand, as exemplified by Zhuangzi'''s famous allegorical characters such as Hong Meng (Vast Obscurity) and Yun Jiang (Cloud General).
or are two main alternate readings. Guo Xiang implied that the term should be read the commentary of Guo Qingfan (, 1844-1896) cites his father Guo Songtao (1818-1891) that it should be read , meaning "repetitions of words". Cheng's subcommentary says it refers to ancient sayings of respected () local elders, personages such as the Yellow Emperor and Confucius.
occur three times in chapter 27. For the first statement (27/1) that "impromptu words pour forth every day and harmonize within the framework of nature", Guo Xiang explains how "goblet words" the changing meanings of their referents like a self-righting goblet. A goblet when full gets tipped and when empty is set upright —it does not just stay the same. How much the more this is true of words, for they change according to what they refer to. Since they but follow them (their referents), this is why the text says they "appear day by day" . "Appear day by day" means "new each day" . Since they are new each day, they fulfill what is naturally allotted to them , and because their natural allotments are thus fulfilled, they operate harmoniously. Cheng Xuanying notes a goblet is a "wine vessel" (), and glosses as words spoken that go along with either side of an argument. A goblet when full gets tipped and when empty is set upright . Whether it is tipped or set upright depends on someone. Words uttered unconsciously , this is what "goblet words" are. Therefore, one either does not speak or one's speech is done without any "tipping" or "being set upright." Only then do words match what is naturally allotted to them. Cheng cites the alternate interpretation of Guo's contemporary Sima Biao (c. 238-306) that the text used as a pun on the phonetic loan character in , taking to mean "words that are irregular, uneven, and jumbled, having neither a head nor a tail".
For the second occurrence of "goblet words" in the statement that "Consequently, there is effusive elaboration so that they may live out their years" (27/5), Guo's commentary says that since "natural boundaries" () are dominated by neither right nor wrong and "effusively elaborate" (), no one can determine which is right. Thus, one can be in a worry-free state of mind and live out one's natural lifespan. Cheng Xuanying defines as , which he uses above (27/1) to define , and explains that by following () the changes of each new day and harmonizing with natural boundaries, one can abide with the universal and instinctively deal with everything.